CH 107

Chapter 107 – Hunting Rewards

When we returned to the bear face bus, we were greeted by two of the winged tribe and the mothers and daughters.

“Thank you for your hard work, Your Majesty the King. Your Majesty the Queen.”

“No, the rest of the battle was a lot easier than I thought it would be. It was thanks to Yoshua’s power.”

“Yoshua, sama. Are you the Demon King?”

The daughters tilted their heads curiously, and the mother looked frightened behind them. Yes, that’s what it’s going to be.

“Umm… even though it is called Demon King, it’s like a nickname that was given to me on its own. The people where I live now are called the demon people, and when I was acting like the village chief there, they started calling me the Demon King.”

“So Demon King means the king of the demons?”

“That’s right. I was originally just a merchant, though.”

Since facts are facts, there was no particular rush, and we ate an early meal and went to sleep on the bus as the rain intensified and the battle continued into the night.

When we woke up the next morning, the rain had stopped. The evacuation order within the city walls had been lifted, and the residents were out and about on their own or engaged in reconstruction work.

The mother and the daughters joined their relatives who were living in Meteora and were safely taken back to their home.

Apparently, their relatives living in Meteora, on the southern edge of the city, also had heard about the deteriorating security situation in the vicinity of the royal capital and had been worried about the mother and daughters. An elderly man and woman took the daughters by the hand and left.

“We didn’t even ask their names.”

“Right. I thought it would be better that way. I don’t know how to say it, but it just felt right.”

I needed to cover my guilt with a hypocritical imitation of atonement. I didn’t need their names for that. It was more convenient for me to be some nameless person on the street. It sucked, but if it benefited the other side, so be it. It made me feel a little better.

Waving to the happy girls, Myrril and I headed back to the public hall in the center of Meteora.

In the morning, a messenger from Duke Lemore had visited the bear face bus and handed over a letter of invitation. It was the first time I had received a letter of invitation, or rather, an official document from a nobleman.

During the battle, the public hall used to be a command center, but now the soldiers have left, and the place is deserted.

Marquis Yerkel, who came to meet us, looked downcast as she and her attendant held the documents in her arms.

“…You look tired, don’t you? Is something wrong?”

“The battle is over, thanks to you, and the remnants of the royalists have been successfully subdued. Now the political maneuvering is about to begin, so I’m preparing for that.”

Although I did not understand that, I nodded vaguely with an air of understanding.

To be honest, it seems to be more troublesome than the actual battle.

“As for my plans for the future, I won’t be able to leave here for a few days to clean up after Meteora. I’ll be back as soon as I can, but would you mind going to the marquis’s territory first, Yoshua-dono?”

“No problem. As long as I can get my people back, I don’t have any urgent business.”

“Thank you. I will have someone to guide the troops back to the territory, so if you need anything or have any requests, just let her know. I will send her to the bus later.”

“Okay.”

We head for the office that used to be the operations command center.

“Your Excellency the Duke, I have brought him here.”

“Ah, thank you.”

After the battle with the magical beasts, it seems that he had also led the nighttime attack on the remnants, and Duke Lemore also had a tired look on his face.

Still, with the dignity of a strong man, his back is straight, and his expression is bright. It was not the brightness of a good thing but the calmness of a man who has come to the end of his rope.

Of course, he understands the mess that is about to happen, the problems that need to be handled, and the blame that needs to be placed on him, so I guess that means that he has come to his senses as the ringleader of the rebellion.

The ringleader of the rebellion welcomes me and smiles.

“I am sorry for taking the trouble to come here when I should be on my way to you, Your Majesty the Demon King of Casemaian. Thank you for your help last night and for your great contribution.”

“No, I just took care of my own problem. It will be a loss to the name of the Demon King if a mere mage manipulates magical creatures without his permission.”

I know it’s an unreasonable reason.

They are adults, so they don’t say things like, “Aren’t you trying really hard to beat them?”　

The reason is that I’m a Demon King, but it’s just a position of convenience. I don’t know any demons, and I have no command over them.

“Have you cleaned up the remaining enemies?”

“Yes. The royalist remnants are 150 infantrymen and 30 cavalrymen, four offensive mages, and two magical beast users.”

In response to Duke Lemore’s words, Marquis Yerkel pointed to a document on the table. I can’t read it, but it looks like there are numbers on it.

“We have gathered information from the enemy survivors, and it seems that they have been almost exterminated. There are a few commanders and mages whose whereabouts are unknown, but it is unlikely that they are still alive. So there is no danger.”

“I killed the magical beast user who was on the warship. He was the one who controlled the sea pack wolf.”

Marquis Yerkel nodded at Myrril’s words.

Although she never made contact with us, who were on the front line, I heard that the marquis was also running around inside the city walls as the second-in-command of the rebel army, deploying troops and supplying them with supplies.

From my point of view, this sounds like a lot more work than fighting.

“It seems that the one Your Majesty the Queen defeated was the chief court mage.”

“…Is that so? I didn’t think he had that much magic power.”

The reason is that you shot him dead with a single shot, you know.

The body was not found because it fell into the sea, and there is no way to confirm this because no one has seen the person in question. But well, he must have been a powerful man because he controlled nearly 50 sea pack wolves.

“The last mage who unleashed the deep-dwelling salamander was more frightening and unpredictable than the one who controlled the sea wolf.”

“That man was the former chief mage of the previous generation, Old Irmaille. He was probably the one who controlled the legless dragon too. He was an eccentric who was known as an “Insect User,” and he destroyed several cities during his active years!”

…As I thought, he was a terrible man.

“I had said that the game was over without a struggle” and that “it was a simple game even though it was the last one,” but in fact, I was dealing with an unpleasant opponent. If I hadn’t made the first move, I would have died.

“Oh, Yoshua-dono. We are going to execute the royal family today at noon, but before that, would you like to meet them?”

Marquis Yerkel made a suggestion, and I thought about it for a moment and shook my head.

“Yoshua, are you sure?”

“Good or bad, what’s the point of meeting them now?”

Once it is clear that there is no way to return to my original world, there is no longer any particular use for the king personally.　

I don’t say that the desire for revenge is gone, but whatever I tell the helpless king now may make me feel uncomfortable, but it won’t make me feel any less vengeful. 

“Even though it was the king’s own fault, I took away 30,000 soldiers, three princes, and three summoned people from him. As a result, it also took away his kingdom itself. Now that he’s just a helpless old man, I have nothing more to tell him, nothing more I want to hear from him.”

“I see. Well, then, if I may be so bold as to offer you a trifle, this way.”

The duke instructed his attendants to bring in two large wheeled wagons.

On them were several boxes of expensive-looking ornaments and about ten swords. The other heavy-looking wagon is filled with wooden boxes of the same size. When the squire opened it, there was a row of gold coins.

“These gold coins are in gratitude for your help. It includes the price of the magic core we took from the monsters you defeated. The other is a treasure that the king took from the treasury and brought to Meteora. As the duke, I would be presumptuous to offer you this as a token of our apology from the kingdom.”

After some hesitation, I asked the duke. I am somewhat reluctant to accept it as it is.

“I appreciate the sentiment, but have you heard that the outflow of money, especially gold coins, is destroying the kingdom’s economy?”

The duke looks slightly surprised but gives a small nod and turns his attention to Marquis Yerkel.

From his demeanor, it seems that Duke Lemore is a military commander type of nobleman, and the marquis seems to be the central figure in internal politics.

“Of course, we are aware of this. But that would be an opinion based on only one aspect of the problem.”

“…What does that mean?”

“Most of the gold mines are located in the southern nobility territories. The mints that produce the coins are also located in the central part of the kingdom, closer to the noble territories, and have already been seized by the army of the noble territories.”

The kingdom’s… economic collapse, at least in the area surrounding the royal capital, was partly due to the will of the noble territories, is that right? I also heard that there was a move to accumulate money in the south. That is, the circulation of money was intentionally squeezed, and the economy around the royal capital deteriorated.

I don’t blame them, but it’s not my place to say so. The fact that I wasn’t solely responsible for the situation made me feel a little better.

I know it’s not that simple or easy, but I don’t really care about the rest of the story.

“I see. Then, I’ll take it without hesitation.”

Yay! What shall I buy…?